Seen and Heard:Teenagers Talk About Their Lives by Mary Motley Kalergis

"So far, my teenage years have been pretty defined by both physical and parental restrictions, so the theater group has been a way for me to transcend those constraints.  Realizing that I could do something that not everybody could do has been really good for my confidence.  I've started thinking of myself as a singer, instead of a girl who sits in a chair."                                                                                             Alejandra Ospina (17) 

I don't know when I realized my own condition.  As a young child, I think I just accepted myself as the girl who had to stay in the chair all day because I couldn't get up. When I was twelve, I started going to a summer camp for kids with disabilities.  The kids found out that I could sing and encouraged me to sign up for drama.  My debut on stage was a solo of "Memory," from the musical Cats.  I had always been pretty shy, and oddly enough, performing on stage was the most fun I'd ever had.  Maybe that's what it took to overcome my extreme shyness.

     Going to college is going to be a shock, because I'm not used to having total freedom, to come and go when I want.  Sometimes I feel like I'm still waiting for my life to begin.   Right now we're working with Children's Television Workshops to produce some skits and we're planning on filming our Lincoln Theater play, Satchmo's Gang, later on this year, where I sing "What A Wonderful World." I think of The Fearless Theater Company as a door that disabled kids can walk through and discover their potential on the other side.